Mandolin attachment for player pianos



p. ISTA MANDOLIN ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYER PIANOS March 18, 1924. 1,487,164

Filed Oct. 13, 1922 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EWE INVENTOR WITNESS:

N AITORNEY w G w March 18, 1924.- 1,487,164

o. ISTA MANDOLIN ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed Oct. 13, 1.922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvsm-on WITNESS:

ATTORNEY O. ISTA MANDOLIN ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYER PIANOS March 18 1924'. L 1,487,164

Filed Oct. 13, 1.922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR AITORNEY WITNESS:

March 18,- 1924. I 1,487,164

0. ISTA MANDOLIN ATTACHMENTFOR PLAYER PIANOS Filedoct 13, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gi -i WITNESS:

Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES ORESTE ISTA. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MANDOLIN ATTACHMENT FOR PLAYER PIAN OS.

Application filed October 13, 1922. Serial No. 594,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,Onns'rn ISTA, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new anduseful Improvements in MandolinAttachments for Player Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to musical instruments, particularly to mechanical player pianos, and has for its object the provision of an attachment by means of which a mandolin effect may be produced in conjunction with the usual sounds caused by striking the strings.

An important object is'the provision of an attachment of this character which is provided with means whereby it may be thrown into or out of operation atwill, the mechanism being moreover, operated from the motor which drives the player mechanism.

Another and more specific object is the provision of a longitudinally movable bar reciprocated by the player mechanism and carrying a series of picks which are automatically projected into such position as to pluck the strings when the various notes are played, that is when the strings are struck by the hammers.

An additionalobject is the provision of an attachment of thischaracter which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive in manufacture, capable of installation in alreadly existing player pianos, and which will'be not only efficient in action but durable in service.

Vith the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to behereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic front elevation showingthe device in ap' plied position, a. portion of the player piano mechanism being illustrated,

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the player piano showing an-end view of the at tachment in place,

Figure 3 is a vertical-section on a larger scale taken through one of the pick devices,

Figure 4 is a frontelevation of a-fragment of the attachment on a larger scale than in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the clutch mechanism for throwing the attachment into and out'of operation,

Figure 6 is a detail section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the pick housings,

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of a pick and Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the trip levers.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates a portion of the frame of a. player piano, B represents the pneumatic motor which drives the crank shaft C which operates the drive chain D of the player mechanism. The winding mechanism and'the apparatus for causing striking of the hammers is not shown as it forms no part of the present invention. However, I have shown a single key lever E connected with the wippen F which has the usual link connection G with the hammer member H. The hammers ofcourse operate to strike the strings I which are mounted in the ordinary manner.

In carrying out my invention I provide an-elongated frame 10, which is located in advance of the strings and which is secured to the frame A, This frame includes a rigid bar 10*. Located above this bar 10 is a longitudinally movable bar 11 which is slidable through suitable-guideopenings in the ends of the frame 10. It should be understood that the frame 10 may be of any desired length depending upon the number of strings with which it is desired to associate the plucking attachment.

This bar 11 must be reciprocated, and the means for accomplishing this consists of a frame 12 suitably mounted in the frame 10 and having journaled therein a pulley 13 carrying a wrist pin 14 connected by a link 15 with the adjacent end of the bar 11. Trained about the pulley 13 is a belt 16 which is, in turn, trained about a grooved pulley 17 on a horizontal shaft 18 journaled in the frame 12. One end of this shaft carries an. arm 19 terminating in a finger 20. 'Rotatably and slidably mounted in the frame 10 is a hollow shaft 21 receiving the adjacent end of the shaft 18 and carrying a disk 22 formed with a notch 23 within which the finger 20 is ordinarily engaged for the purpose of making a drive connection be tween the shafts 21 and 1S. Secured upon the outer end of the shaft 21 is a sprocket 2t about which is trained a chain which is also trained about a sprocket 26 secured on the cran shaft C of the motor.

The clutch control means consists of a fork like member 27 pivoted at 28 upon a bracket 29 carried by the frame and having its sides straddling the sprocket 2-l-. Pivotally connected with the other end of this fork like lever or member, as shown at 30 is a control rod 31 which may extend to any desired point on the front of the piano in convenient reach of the operator so that by moving the rod 31 lengthwise and consequently rocking the member 27 on its pivot 28, the shaft 21 may be moved lengthwise to bring the notched disk 22 toward or away from the clutch finger 2t, depending upon whether or not the action of the attachn'ientis desired. By this means the longitiulinal movement of the bar 11 is controlled.

The numeral designates a series of housings corres lending in number to the number of groups of strings to be plucked. and at their lower ends these housings are formed or provided with slotted lugs or ears 33 which are pivetally engaged upon pins, screws or bolts 34. carried by the bar 10. The upper ends of these housings are formed or provided with ears 35 pivoted at 36 upon the movable bar 11. In actual practice each housing 32 may consist of a single piece of sheet metal cut and bent to the shape shown. the cross sectional configuration being of U-shape so that the rear sides or edges of the housings will be open.

Located 'ithin each housing 32 is a pick 37 consisting of an elongated lever having its upper end formed with a head 38 to be projected through a slot 39 in the closed edge of hight portion of the housing. The picks are pivoted within the housings as shown at 39 and their lower ends are formed with widened portions 40 which engage against the bar 10 as a stop, and the rear sides of these widened portions are recessed as shown at ll. Each pick is normally held in retracted position, shown in Figure 3, by means of a hair pin spring 452 which includes a looped portion 4?) engaging the front edge of the pick below the pivot, and retlexly bent arms il held within socket members 15 on the sides of the housing.

The frame 10 includes a forwardly extending ledge +16 carrying a series of staple like bearings i7 within which are journaled angular trip levers 48 which include upstanding arms with which are connected flexible members 50 which pass through holes 51 in the widened portions 40 of the picks and which are subsequently knotted to prevent withdra 'al. The angle trips further include substantially horizontally disposed arms 52 provided at their free ends with ball heads located below the rear ends of the wippens F.

Assuming that the device has been constructed and installed as above described, its operation is as follows: Vhen the operator moves whatever control finger piece or the like is connected with the rod 31 to shift the fork member 27 outwardly to disengage the disk 22 from the clutch finger 20, the bar 11 remains motionless and the piano may be played in the ordinary manner with my plucking attachment inoperative. \Vhen the mandolin efiect is desired, the operator moves the rod 31 in the other direction to move the shaft 21 lengthwise so that the disk 2 carried thereby will be disposed against the arm 19, the clutch finger 20 entering the notch 23. As the shaft 21 is constantly rotated while the player mechanism is in operation, this rotation will then be imparted to the shaft 18, and consequently the pulley 13 will be driven and this will cause the link 15 to move the bar 11 back and forth. However, the back and forth movement of the bar 11 has no effect until a key or key mechanism is operated. \Vhenever a key lever is moved up to cause the hammer II to strike the strings in the usual manner, the rocking movement of the wippen engag ing the lever arm 52 will cause the asso ciated trip 48 to swing forwardly. \Vhen this occurs the flexible member 50 associated with the trip pulls the lower end of the associated pick outwardly and causes the head 38 thereof to be projected through the slot 39 into such position as to pluck or drag over the strings I. It is obvious that in this way a mandolin effect will be produced. This plucking effect in conjunction with the tones produced by the action of the hammers striking the strings will produce a most pleasing and artistic effect. Owing to the provision of the clutch mechanism it is quite apparent that the device may be rendered operative or inoperative at will so that while playing a single composition the mandolin effect may be applied at desired intervals such as may suit the fancy of the individual performer.

Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. The combination with the motor, hammer mechanism and wippens of a player piano, of a mandolin attachment, comprising a supporting frame, a stationary bar forming a part thereof, a reciprocatory bar movably mounted in said frame, means pct driven by the motor of the player piano mechanism for driving said reciprocatory bar, a plurality of housings pivoted at their upper and lower ends upon said reciprocatory bar and rigid bar respectively, picks movably mounted within said housings, and means engageable by the wippens of the hammer mechanism for projecting said picks into position to pluck the strings.

2. The combination with the motor, hammer mechanism and wippens of a player piano, of a mandolin attachment, comprising a supporting'frame, a stationary bar forming a part thereof, a reciprocatory bar movably mounted in said frame, means driven by the motor of the player piano mechanism for driving said reciprocatory bar, a plurality of housings pivoted at their upper and lower ends upon said reciprocatory bar and rigid bar respectively, picks movably mounted within said housings, and means engageable by the wippens of the hammer mechanism for projecting said picks into position to pluck the strings, consisting of trips of angular formation connected at one end with the associated pick and having its other end disposed in the path of movement of the wippen.

3. The combination with the motor. hammer mechanism and wippens of a player piano, of a mandolin attachment, comprising a frame mounted in front of the piano strings, a reciprocatory bar mounted in said frame, means operated from the motor of the player piano mechanism for moving said bar, a plurality of housings pivoted within said frame and pivotally connected with said reciprocatory bar, picks pivoted intermediate their ends within the housings and normally spring pressed into retracted position away from the strings, trip levers of angular formation pivotally mounted and having one arm connected with the associated pick and the other arm disposed in the path of travel of the wippen.

4:. The combination with the motor, hammer mechanism and wippens of a player piano, of a mandolin attachment, comprising a supporting frame, a stationary bar forming a part thereof, a reciprocatory bar movably mounted in said frame, means driven by the motor of the player piano mechanism for driving said reciprocatory bar, a plurality of housings pivoted at their upper and lower ends upon said reciprocatory bar and rigid bar respectively, picks movably mounted within said housings, and means engageable by the wippens of the hammer mechanism for projecting said picks into position to pluck the strings, consisting of trips of angular formation connected at one end with the associated pick and having its other end disposed in the path of movement of the wippen, and means for throwing the drive means for said reciprocatory bar into and out of operation.

5. The combination with the motor, hammer mechanism and wippens of a player piano, of a mandolin attachment, comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted supports, motor driven means for simultaneously oscillating said supports, picks carried by said supports and normally spring pressed into retracted position away from the strings, and means associated with the hammer mechanism and operated thereby for swinging picks into projected position to engage the strings.

6. The combination with the motor, hammer mechanism and wippens of a player piano, of a mandolin attachment, compris ing a supporting frame, a stationary bar forming a part thereof, a reciprocatory bar movably mounted in said frame, means driven by the motor of the player piano,

mechanism for driving said reciprocatory bar, a plurality of housings pivoted at their upper and lower ends upon said reciprocatory bar and rigid bar respectively, picks movably mounted within said housings, and means engageable by the wippens of the hammer mechanism for projecting said picks into position to pluck the strings, consisting of trips of angular formation connected at one end with the associated pick and having their other ends disposed in the path of movement of the wippens, and a clutch mechanism interposed in the drive for the reciprocatory element whereby to render the mechanism operative or inoperative at will, and a control rod connected with the clutch mechanism and extending within convenient reach of the operator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ORESTE ISTA. 

